


Kiss Me (Like You Wanna Be Loved)

by milestofu



Category: MindCrack RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-19
Updated: 2014-02-19
Packaged: 2018-02-09 16:29:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1989843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milestofu/pseuds/milestofu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Falling in love is a silly thing; it does stupid things to your heart that Etho isn’t particularly fond of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kiss Me (Like You Wanna Be Loved)

**Author's Note:**

> Because this fandom needs more loving, cuddly fics and less death and destruction. (◡‿◡✿)
> 
> Originally posted to my Tumblr on 02/19/14.

Their relationship (was it a relationship yet? Etho wasn’t sure) starts on awkward footing and Etho almost regrets allowing it to happen. If he didn’t listen to his heart and how it beat faster every time Nebris was around he wouldn’t be in this situation.

He sighs, his heart is the root of all of his problems, wasn’t it? So is Nebris, now that he thinks about it. Nebris whose mischievous nature warps into something considerably more shy in Etho’s presence.

It’s both of their faults, really. Pesky hearts and their feelings.

Etho sighs again.

Why, oh why, did he have to say yes when Nebris approached him after a group recording with a stutter to his voice, asking him if he wanted to grab a beer and if he didn’t drink, a burger or something and apologizing for bothering him with something so silly and―

And, well, he rambled (it was kind of adorable).

Etho remembers all the blood rushing to his cheeks and being thankful for how cold it was outside so he could blame the redness of his face on the cold. He also remembers how Nebris’ face lit up (that was kind of adorable, too) when he agreed to go out for a beer and possibly a bite to eat.

That was last week and since then their date…? Was it a date? Their  _outing_  hasn’t left Etho’s thoughts. They haven’t spoken face to face since then, too embarrassed for the notion to be even remotely conceivable.

It doesn’t matter, though, because while their date― _outing_ ―was nothing less than awkward, it meant the world to both of them, Etho somehow knew.

He can almost hear Guude’s voice in his head making fun of him for being so corny.

Unfortunately (or was it fortunately?), they weren’t going to be able to avoid each other for much longer. The server reset was right around the corner and soon enough they’d be stuck on the same continent, forced to acknowledge each other’s existence outside of small talk over chat.

Etho’s having an existential crisis about it.

Nebris, however, decides waiting for the server reset is too long of a wait and drops by Etho’s base a few days before the reset is scheduled to happen and really, that’s all there is to the story of how Etho finds himself standing in front of Nebris.

Etho may or may not be freaking out internally.

"Howdy," Nebris greets him with a familiar nervous, but hopeful expression on his face. He shifts his weight onto one leg, scratching the back of his neck.

Etho swallows thickly, his nerves getting the better of him. “Hey,” he replies. “What brings you here?”

It isn’t that long of a trip from Nebris’ base to his own considering the railway through the Nether, but the action of coming to visit makes Etho’s heart flutter (it really,  _really_  needs to stop doing that).

Nebris doesn’t say anything for a few moments, seemingly stuck in his thoughts deliberating before finally throwing caution to the wind and saying, “You know, I came up with an excuse as to why I came to visit”―he leaves out the fact he had been contemplating the excuse for days so it’s  _just_  right―”but I kind of… This is going to sound dumb, but I wanted to see your face.”

Etho’s heart leaps into his throat and his eyes widen. Nebris looks away then, sheepish as he’s unable to maintain eye contact any longer and the momentary aura of confidence dispels into the air.

"I… Uh…" Etho doesn’t know what to say because everything he wants to say will sound ridiculous out loud. "Me too," he says eventually, before correcting himself hurriedly, stumbling over his words, "I mean, your face, not mine."

Wow, that was smooth.

Nebris chuckles a little, kicking the ground with the front of his boot before working up the courage to look at Etho again. “That’s good,” he says before continuing, “We’re pretty bad at this.”

"We are," Etho agrees because whatever ‘this’ is, they’re absolutely terrible.

"I can leave if you want―?"

"Coffee―?"

They both stop, their mouths closing before laughing at the absurdity of talking at the same time. Nebris shakes his head.

"Coffee sounds nice," he says.

Etho just nods his head and leads him to the kitchen, grabbing a mug from one of the cupboards and filling it with still warm leftover coffee from earlier in the morning.

Nebris takes it wordlessly, bringing the mug to his lips and taking a sip. They remain like that for awhile; Etho leaning up against the counter and Nebris standing a few feet away, drinking his coffee in relative silence.

Eventually, Etho laughs, his smile unseen beneath his mask. Nebris laughs, too; a breathy laugh that sounds like an exhale that got caught in his throat. He fixes his gaze on the coffee in his mug before his attention returns to Etho at the sound of movement.

Etho’s no longer leant up against the counter when he asks, “We’re ridiculous, aren’t we?”

"We kind of are," Nebris agrees and opens his mouth to say something else before he stops.

Etho’s closer now, leaning down as he pulls his mask down with one hand as the other cups the side of Nebris’ face. Nebris’ entire body tenses, anticipation sinking in and when Etho’s soft lips finally press to his own, the world around them melts away.

He closes his eyes and relaxes into the feeling of Etho’s lips sliding against his own. It’s languid and slow, but it fills him with such joy and a sense of being complete that he can’t even begin to dream of putting into words.

It’s everything he’s ever wanted and more.

Etho pulls away, just enough to breathe, his warm breath ghosting against Nebris’ lips. Nebris opens his eyes and smiles because he can’t help himself.

Butterflies he didn’t realize were fluttering anxiously in his stomach have travelled into his ribcage, filling his lungs until they’re about to burst and robbing him of his ability to breathe. He doesn’t need to breathe, though, because when Etho kisses him again, he breathes all the life he’ll ever need into him.

_This is what love feels like, isn’t it?_

Somehow, he manages to find the counter and set his mug of coffee down on it before reaching up with his now free hands and entangling his fingers into Etho’s hair, pressing their bodies closer together.

_It is._


End file.
